There are several known techniques for manufacturing composite, hollow-core doors with ornamental features such as simulated panels and simulated wood grains. Standard wood composite door skins are formed from a relatively thick non-solid mat or bat of material, which is compressed in a press to a reduced thickness door skin. The door skin may optionally then be post-formed in a reforming process, and subsequently finished using primers, pigments, and the like. Respective finished door skins then are secured to opposing sides of a support frame to define a hollow-core door.
A flush door skin is substantially flat or planar, especially along its interior surface which is secured to the support frame. Because flush door skins do not require three-dimensional reshaping in contoured mold cavities, flush door skins are less expensive to manufacture than three-dimensional molded door skins having contoured interior and exterior surfaces. Although flush door skins are principally flat, the exterior surface of a flush door skin may be embossed or otherwise cut or machined to create depressions that give the exterior door skin surface an ornamental appearance. The depressions may, for example, be formed as grooves extending over a significant portion of the door skin to define the boundaries of simulated stiles, rails and other planks and interior panels. It is also known to form patterns of smaller discrete depressions in the exterior surfaces of flush door skins to simulate natural wood grain textures. Such depressions are typically embossed into the exterior surface during compression of the mat or bat into the door blank, or in a subsequent reformation step against a mold die or embossing plate.
One problem that arises in the manufacture of flush door skins is that the uniform ornamental design produced by certain die mold equipment might not appease the distinguishing yet variable tastes and preferences of consumers. One consumer may prefer flush door skins with a single simulated interior panel, while another consumer may desire multiple simulated internal panels, for example. Other ornamental design options that consumers may differ on include the number, shape, site and location of stiles, rails, and other planks and the directional flow of wood grain patterns. The potential number of design options and combinations of ornamental features are many. However, conventional production of each different door design requires its own die sets for pressing the desired ornamental features into the surface of the door skin. In addition, a separate die set may be required for different length door skins, even if the panel design is similar, given the panel dimensions may proportionally change with the overall size of the door. The use of multiple die sets presents considerable storage, costs, operational problems.
One option for addressing these problems is to implement printing technologies such as ink-jet printing to apply graphics simulating wood grain and panels to the exterior surfaces of door skins in a post-pressing step. However, ink decorations alone are not always realistic and aesthetically acceptable to discriminate consumers. Ink decorations alone also lack the textural feel simulation of an authentic object such as natural wood.
Veneering is another post-pressing step for creating ornamental designs such as stiles, rails, and wood graining on the exterior surface of a door skin. Veneering, however, has its own drawbacks, such as lack of realistic texture, the extensive production times required for proper alignment and laying of the veneers, and high cost. Further, veneers can conceal smaller discrete embossments simulating wood grain texture in the exterior surface of the door skin.
Certain conveniences and manufacturing efficiencies could be realized if ornamental features such as stiles, rails, interior panels, and grain direction could be formed in or selected for flush door skins after the skins or precursor boards are pressed in a mold die. The downstream transition of decorating and design selection steps in the manufacturing process would permit the stocking of large numbers of universal or generic flush door skins or door skin precursor boards in inventory while improving production rates. The ornamental designs of the universal/generic flush door skins and/or precursor boards could then be individually tailored to specific customer orders in a post-pressing step or steps.